Record Canberra crowd sees NSW Sky Blues end Queensland's Origin reign

In a tense back-and-forth encounter NSW emerged victorious 20-14 in front of a total of 11,321 fans in the capital. The attendance surpassed the record set in the 2019 Origin at North Sydney Oval of 10,515.

NSW coach Kylie Hilder said the Gatorade shower she received from her players after the win was one of the coldest, yet most satisfying, of her career.

"It's well worth it I can tell you," Hilder said with a smile as the team donned ski goggles celebrating in the change rooms.

"It was very emotional to be honest. We've been building to this for two years.

"The bond that we have not just as a team but off the field is really important and I think that showed and came out on the field.

"It was a rollercoaster."

Hilder believes it was their completion rate which decided the high intensity game and credited her forward pack and talented backs for their role in the Origin triumph.

"We went into halftime and it was 91 per cent completions," the coach said. "Last year it was pretty bad so that was something we worked pretty hard on.

"We made some mistakes that led to tries but I knew we just needed to hold the ball and complete our sets and we'd get the win.

"I think I've got the best outside backs and also the best middles in the game at the moment."

The early exchanges lived up to everything Origin footy promises, in a gripping, highly physical grudge match where neither team were willing to give an inch without a fight.

That physical battle was highlighted inside five minutes when Tallisha Harden was forced off for a HIA with claret dripping from her left eye socket from a collision with Sky Blues star Millie Boyle.

Queensland's defence was put to the test when Emma Tonegato darted off from 20 metres out, only to be held up by a gutsy tackle by Maroons fullback Tameka Upton.

A penalty soon after rewarded the Maroons great field position to take the ball up the other end of the field and score the opening try. A quick play-the-ball deep inside NSW territory saw Destiny Brill catch the Sky Blues defence off-balance, cutting back inside to score.

Emma Tonegato responded in style with an unbelievable putdown centimetres from the dead-ball line off a neat Keeley Davis grubber. Rachael Pearson's conversion crucially put NSW ahead after an earlier missed effort by Queensland skipper Ali Brigginshaw.

Returning to the NSW side for the first time since 2019, five-eighth Kirra Dibb put her team further ahead with a sensational individual effort to score. Her big left-foot step on the Maroons' 30-metre line put her through the defence before another step bamboozled Upton and sent the Canberra crowd into hysterics.

NSW made the error of allowing Brigginshaw's ensuing kick-off to dribble into touch, giving Queensland a scrum feed inside the Sky Blues' half. Then a successful captain's challenge against a penalty to NSW for contact on a leaping Tiana Penitani allowed the Maroons another scrum.

Aiken wasted no time zipping through NSW like a warm knife through butter to score in the left corner, and Brigginshaw's conversion kept the Queenslanders within two.

A nail-biting finish to the first-half had both sides looking likely to score, but impressive defensive performances had NSW settle for a 14-10 lead at the break.

NSW had the perfect start to the second 40 with Pearson's accuracy with the boot pushing their lead out to six points after a penalty goal. The Maroons meanwhile were left a woman down on the interchange when veteran Stephanie Hancock failed her HIA.

Emotions boiled over when a brouhaha erupted prompting a throwback to Origin clashes of yesteryear, riling up the crowd before a Queensland try in the corner to Evania Pelite threatened a comeback.

Lauren Brown's missed goal in front of booing fans kept the Sky Blues in front but two disallowed tries in the final minutes had hearts skipping beats on both teams.

The Bunker denied Penitani when a Olivia Kernick pass was deemed a knock-on, and Queensland had mere seconds to celebrate a Shenae Ciesiolka match winner before she too had four points scrubbed with Julia Robinson offside when she caught a bomb and offloaded.

NSW ensured the Bunker didn't steal headlines though with player-of-the-match Isabelle Kelly putting the result beyond doubt in the final three minutes.

"It was a tough one," Queensland coach Tahnee Norris said post-game.

"It's disappointing. We just couldn't capitalise on a couple of opportunities and the girls fought right to the end, so it's frustrating, that offside try to finish off.

"They just kept putting it out there. Unfortunately, we just could come away with it.

"To see the girls put in so much effort, it really hurts."

AT A GLANCE

NSW 20 (Emma Tonegato, Kirra Dibb, Isabelle Kelly tries; Rachael Pearson 4 goals) bt QUEENSLAND 14 (Destiny Brill, Tarryn Aiken, Evania Pelite tries; Ali Brigginshaw goal).